Re: UK TV Licence
Been there as well with the TVLA (TV licence authority)... I bought some TV tuner cards and a week or two later received threatening letters demanding that I either pay them because "there was no record of a TV licence at my address" (my partner had a TV licence) or to provide details of the TV licence that I might claim to be using (which they would then consider in due course as to whether it was valid or not). In the meantime I was on notice of a court appearance, bailiffs, etc.
Needless to say, if they couldn't be bothered to look into their own records, then I certainly couldn't be bothered to look onto our noticeboard where the TV licence is pinned, so I wrote to them (using the same threatening stance, phrasing and formatting that they used in their letter to me) telling them to check their own records. Needless to say, they ignored this letter and sent a subseqent letter informing me of a provisional court date,further threats of bailiffs, criminal record, etc. So I wrote back to them (again, copying their style) and pointed out that, as mentioned in my previous letter, I already had a licence and that they get their finger out and check their own records, noting how frequently make claims to as to how good these records are, and if they didn't then I'd quite happily meet them in court and pursue them for all kinds of damages due to stress, oppression, corporate incompetence, etc. (pretty much any vague threat that I could think of at the time). Two days before the supposed court date I received a letter from the TVLA stating that "on this occasion" they had decided not to pursue a court case.
Nope, not racketeering and bullying at all...